Nodame Cantabile

Megumi Noda is a piano student of Momogaoka College of Music at Japan. A very disorganized and untidy woman but with amazing talent who prefers to play by ear rather than reading the score. She meets Shinichi Chiaki – Momogoaka’s top student, a very skilled piano and violin player who has a secret ambition to be a conductor, and trapped in Japan because of his phobia of flying and the sea – and falls in love quickly.

They meet friends of different sorts, create an orchestra, experience and learn things together, and pursues their dreams further in Paris.

There wasn’t much romantic scenes to make me feel like it’s too much. There are intervals on every scene so you would be take by surprise, adding much sweetness to that kiss and hug. It wasn’t bitter at all just like most mangas. Nodame and Chiaki were growing up but they were fairly mature to be called an adolescent.

Watching Nodame Cantabile was like eating a perfectly cooked dish – just enough, not too salty, nor too sweet. Much delectable as it is peppered with Beethoven, Ravel, Debussy, Mozart, etc. I was itiching to learn the piano, to listen to a live performance. I was moved as the conductor raised his hands and the cello, violin, piccolo, oboe, etc. started playing. By then, I saw Paris in a different way. Not only as the fashion capital but the music capital of the world. I wanted to fly and visit Paris.

A love story that started like a joke and ended up like a fairy tale, Tomoko Ninomiya did not fail to draw me in the world she created.

This is one of my favorite japanese manga, I read the manga, watched the anime and also the drama version (I spent months obsessing over this series)…simply enchanting but I seriously recommend the anime (not the drama) .

Nodame is the name of the main character. The title is not only nice, so is the movie itself. You might want to watch it!

Yes, the Japanese start reading at the back of the book. It’s quite odd but I have an interest to learn their language. I am really attracted to the Japanese and Koreans – their language, culture, literature, their food, fashion, music, etc. I’m Asian after all!

i watched the live drama version of this and loved it. its definitely not a drama that you watch for the romantic scenes but it was so laugh out loud funny that i really enjoyed watching it. i haven’t seen the anime of it though, but i’m sure the two are similar.